Resistance
by MicchiChan
Summary: With Yuuki gone, Zero continues on at the academy, a mere shell of his former existence. With the appearance of another victim of a seemingly random and violent vampire attack, will Zero be able to pull himself up and be useful, or will history begin to repeat itself in an uncanny fashion?
1. The Beginning of the End

_All was silent, peacefully calm, this fine evening in the Totori prefecture. The small, humble, two bedroom house looked the way it always did, simple and traditional, but definitely loved. Touches of the family that lived within graced the walls, the furniture, and the entirety of the home. The main entryway was a long hallway, with bedrooms and a bathroom off to the right in a small hallway of their own, the kitchen and the living room at the end of the main hall. A small office was separated from the kitchen by a small doorway. This was the house that the Kagami family had lived in since the birth of their daughter, Akira._

_Akira walked into the house with a sense of belonging and a fondness that can only be felt for one's home. She knew and loved this house well, having grown up in it and experienced a great number of things within its walls. Walking in a relaxed fashion, the girl made her way through the hallway, her boots clicking lightly on the wood panels._

"_Mom, dad? I'm home," She called through the house. Lights were on, but there was no sound of activity that she could pick up on, aside from some quiet classical music playing that her mother had grown fond of. Perhaps her parents were simply reading or playing another round of chess, their all-time favorite game. _

_One beat. Two. Another. No answer returned to the seventeen year old girl. When she neared the end of the hallway, a scent began to reach her nostrils. Was that…burning? That was strange, mother never burns things…_

_Finally coming to a stop in the kitchen, with a view of the living room, her eyes fixed on her parents. Brilliant blue eyes widen in disbelief. Her actions are automatic now, entirely out of her control. She hastily scurried over to her mother's side, kneeling down and turning over the woman who now lay of the floor. Crimson red blood was pooling from the woman's chest, where an obvious bullet-wound resided, staining her white blouse. Blood also dripped from incisions in her neck. Her father looked no better, already pale from blood loss, which was evident from the pool of blood he lay in. His eyes were still open, but unmoving. Her mother was still breathing, so she put her grief for her father in a compartment in her mind to deal with after taking care of her mother._

"_Mum! Mum! Talk to me!" Akira pleaded, shaking the woman gently, hoping that there was some chance at saving her. Tears began to fall unconsciously as her mother struggled to breath and to speak._

"_Aa…kira, darling? Is that you?" The middle-aged woman asked in a voice no louder than a whisper. Her chestnut brown hair that was usually immaculately placed in an intricate French style bun was falling out in places. _

"_Yes, mother, it's me. Who did this to you and daddy?" A frightened note had begun to leak into Akira's voice. Her parents had never been hurt this badly and she had no idea how to handle a situation of this sort._

"_Your father…he resisted fiercely until the end. They… killed him mercilessly."_

"_Who killed him? Who did it, mom?"_

"_Vampires," _

"Akira Kagami-chan, welcome to Cross Academy!" Chairman Cross said fondly, ripping the girl from her memories and already insisting that she, a new student should treat him like family. His trench coat fluttered about in the violent wind as he led her toward the campus.

"Please, call me Akira," she said quietly. She followed after him with a heavy heart, eyes fixed on the ground in front of her, her long auburn hair, inherited from her father blew into her face with the movement of the wind covering her blue eyes, a mirror image of her mother's.

_Her mother's chest heaved on last time before falling motionless. She was gone. Both mother and father had been killed. By vampires. Akira, usually able to contain her emotions, broke down on her knees and wept. She should have been there, should have been able to save them. Her sobs grew in intensity as she screamed at the sky._

"I want to thank you, Chairman Cross. I truly appreciate your help," Akira said quietly, staring down at her feet, encased in new warm black boots to keep out the biting cold. She had gotten rid of the pair she had worn that fateful night when her parents died. The blood stains on them frightened and reminded her.

"Of course, your parents were dear friends. And please, call me daddy!" The chairman answered, looking at her with an over-sized smile, though he truly felt a deep sadness and pity for the girl. He had known her parents well. They were good, peaceful people who didn't deserve the bloody deaths fate had dealt them. He had decided after hearing her story that he would adopt her as her own. Perhaps it would heal the loneliness caused by Yuuki's absence. Plus, he had a thing for taking those abused by fate under his wing.

Akira mumbled a little but didn't answer his request to call him by anything other than chairman. Although he didn't say anything, the Chairman looked quite crushed. She almost felt guilty. Almost.

_Her parents' deaths had been at the end of spring, borderline beginning summer. The event had left her feeling weak and defenseless, as well as rising up a desire within her to get revenge on the savage creatures that had murdered her parents._

_So she turned to the Vampire Hunter Association. She began training with them two weeks after her parents were buried in the family cemetery, where three generations of Kagamis rested in eternal sleep. Akira worked tirelessly, aiming to become a force to be reckoned with in the shortest amount of time possible. She had to get her revenge before the monsters could ruin the lives of other families._

_Two months passed. Akira Kagami made quite a reputation for herself among vampire hunters, having completed the training and become an official hunter in such a short amount of time, a feat few others had ever managed or attempted. A hunter's bow had been hand-crafted for her, as were anti-vampire arrows, and was affectionately named Poisonous Passion, an engraving of a rose trailing down the bow. She was the first Kagami to become a vampire hunter, the first vampire hunter to use an anti-vampire bow, and she intended to bring honor to her family be bringing justice to their killers._

_She received word shortly after that she was invited into the elite Cross Academy for her outstanding record. Her parents' connections to the chairman convinced her that the Academy was a good choice for a place to finish her schooling and to bide her time while collecting clues about her parents' murder._

"Ah, and Akira-chan, I forgot to ask you. Have you decided to accept my offer and become a school guardian?" Cross asked expectantly. "Of course, it's a little harder to explain a guardian toting a bow and arrows compared to a gun, but I'm sure I can work it out somehow." He said, his eyes shining mischievously behind his glasses.

"As a newly trained vampire hunter, I would be honored. I will do my best Chairman,"

"Delightful! Our former guardian, Yuuki, recently resigned and Zero-kun isn't the most…shall we say, reliable. Adding you to the guardian team will surely be a huge benefit. I know your parents would be proud!" Cross said, ecstatic.

_What a strangely eccentric man. Endearing, but still odd beyond belief. How did her mother and father know him?_ Regardless, she resolved to carry out her duties as a guardian and as a vampire hunter here to the best of her abilities. _Who knows, maybe I will learn something about my parents' killers... _Akira nodded her head as her resolve strengthened. She had this under control and was done playing the victim.

"Come follow me, I'll show you to your room. It's not far from the other guardian, Zero's. I'm sure that you will fit right in here at the Academy, Akira-chan,"

She made a move to pick up her two bags, but the Chairman took them from her, saying something about letting 'daddy' take care of it.

As they walked toward the room, she watched the a group of students wearing white uniforms exit a large gated dormitory, with hoards of female students in the black uniforms cheering. A blonde in the white uniform, the Night Class uniform, if she remembered right, locked eyes with her for a moment, just long enough for her to see red shining in his otherwise jade eyes.

She recalled the Chairman telling her about the vampire students; she wasn't an oblivious human, but a hunter, after all. These must be them. One thing's for sure, she thought; things in this Academy would be far from boring with such a close coexistence of vampires, vampire hunters, and humans.

After the Chairman had shown Akira to her room, he left her to unpack and collect her thoughts. The dorm she occupied had a small closet, a corner desk, and a twin sized bed and a small bathroom attached. _This room is…so dull. It's almost like it's dead. Better change that._

Unzipping her first bag carefully, she began hanging her clothes in the closet. She had brought very little with her since she would spend most of her time in uniform. She hung her favorite hunter's attire next to the school uniform. It was a simple mocha colored trench coat, but it had a feel to it that made it irreplaceable in her eyes. A functional and flexible pair of dark denim pants and a few simple shirts in various colors were also hung.

Now for the second bag. A set of sheets and a blanket came out first and she quickly arranged them on the bed. Next, she had two picture frames. One was a serious picture of her parents in their more formal attire while the other was a carefree family portrait that had been taken a few months before their death. Carefully, she propped them up on the desk. _There, now they'll be able to watch over me while I'm here._

When she finishing packing, she stepped back to enjoy her work. The room looked much more alive now, with books and pictures on the desk, clothes in the closet, and a bit of color on the bed. Akira smiled, satisfied.

_Might as well get cleaned up and dressed for guardian duties this evening…_ Honestly, she was slightly afraid that things might end badly with her as a guardian. Vampires had just killed her parents, so her emotions could go haywire if she actually came in close contact with a vampire. Hopefully none of them would be stupid enough to push her too far.

The academy's uniform was nice, she had to admit, but she couldn't see anyone defending the Day Class students from the Night Class vampires in it. Skirts were impractical in almost any situation, but especially in the event that a battle could occur. Slipping on the prefect arm badge, Akira headed out the door, refusing to allow herself to over-think things. Perhaps there weren't conflicts between the classes often at all.

There was a fountain outside in between the dorm buildings where she had been told to meet Zero. She could only hope he'd show up on time. She sat on the edge of the fountain for a while, watching the large clock on the Day Class dorm building. It was slightly cold and dreadfully quiet, which quickly began to make Akira feel uneasy. After ten minutes passed, she couldn't take it anymore.

With or without this _Zero_ guy, she would definitely handle her job as guardian. She quickly made her way to the Moon Dorm gates and found a large crowd of Day Class girls crowded around, just as Cross had predicted.

"Excuse me ladies, but you need to return to your dorms," Several girls turned to glare at her fiercely, while the majority ignored her. No one left.

"There will be punishment for those who don't leave now!" She tried again. Still nothing_. These girls certainly didn't make it easy for a guardian. And using force to convince them was out of the question, they were only human girls._ Akira continued to analyze the situation, trying to figure out the best course of action.

Then, an extremely tall young man showed up, with short silver hair and piercing lavender eyes. He got in front of the crowd and wordlessly stared at the girls, practically willing them to leave. The scary look in his eyes was apparently enough to make them stay away from the gate, but even this guy couldn't get them to leave completely.

Just then, the Moon Dorm gates opened and the Night Class, full of vampires, walked out. The blonde who had locked eyes with Akira earlier came out at the head of the group. From what Cross had told her, and the shouts from the wild fan-girls, this had to be Aidou Hanabusa. Next came a man with a bored expression and bright orange hair, without a doubt, Kain. The girl, Ruka, and the quieter blonde male, Ichijou, followed the two. After them, Shiki and Rima came out, sharing a box of pocky.

During this whole proceeding, the girls went insane and most of the vampires smiled, adoring the attention. Akira watched and analyzed. She hadn't come in contact with vampires in any way other than battle before. These vampire students and their calm human-like actions were totally foreign to her_. How could something as savage as what killed my parents act so human?_

After the Night Class was finally gone, the Day Class began to disperse, their source of amusement gone, heading back to their dorms in small groups. Akira sighed a breath of relief and disappointment. She was really going to have to step up her game if she was to make them listen to her authority.

"Who _are_ you?"

Akira gasped in surprise. She had forgotten that the tall silver haired guy was still around. She looked him in the eye, a slight scowl of disapproval on her face. _What pretty eyes he has…_

"I could ask you the same thing, Mr." She said haughtily, placing her hands on her hips and turning her face away from him.

"Zero. Kiryuu Zero." He replied, mater-of-factly.

_Straight to business. Serious, this one. _"Ah, Zero-kun. I'm Akira Kagami, the new guardian. I hope we can get along." She said, smiling sweetly. Zero 'humphed' and turned his back to her, beginning to walk away.

"Hey! Where are your manners? Not even a 'good bye' or 'see you later'?" She yelled at him in irritation, following closely behind him.

He turned back to her and gave her a heart-freezing glare. Akira instantly shut up. Instead, she decided she would simply walk back with him. He looked over at her in annoyance, but said nothing. Akira was beginning to realize that Zero was a man of few words.


	2. Of Monsters and Men

As the sun shone into the dorm through the single window, a tired girl groaned. Today marked Akira's first day of classes at Cross Academy. From now on, she would have to balance school work, social interactions, and her guardian duties_. Surely if I was able to survive vampire hunter training, this would be no problem, right? Well, here goes nothing._

Carefully opening her eyes to adjust to the light, she blinked rapidly and could finally see clearly. She quickly put on her newly washed uniform, which smelled of lavender laundry detergent and her black boots. Then she brushed through her elbow length auburn colored hair carefully, still pulling out a few hairs in her haste. Her teeth were quickly, but carefully scrubbed clean.

She darted out of the room, racing against the clock to reach her first class on time. _What kind of impression would it make if I was late on my first day? _The room she was in was not close to the classrooms, so she had to run to have any hope of making it in time. Her arms collided with the door, which responded to the force, opening in front of her as the bell signaling the beginning of class rang in her ears. Panting slightly, Akira tried to enter the room without causing a huge commotion. Needless to say, she failed miserably.

"Ah! Kagami-chan, how nice of you to join us," A black haired man in his mid to late thirties said with a small grin and flick of his wrist. His eye patch gave away his identity, Toga sensei.

"Hai, arigatou sensei," She mumbled, walking to one of the empty seats. _Come on, drop it. Please just leave me alone and get on with class. _ Her messenger bag slung over her shoulder containing notebooks and writing utensils.

"Tch. Thought you could get away without an introduction eh? Come up front and say hello to the class," Toga sensei said, grinning evilly this time.

Akira's head sunk. _Darn…guess there's no avoiding it, then. _With dragging feet, she walked to the front of the classroom. When she lifted her head, she found about twenty pairs of eyes staring at her_. Great, just great._

"Ohayo gozaimasu, everyone. I'm Akira Kagami, but may call me Akira. I hope we can get along," She stated calmly, bowing slightly. _That's how you give introductions, right? Ugh, I'm no good at this stuff. Curse Toga sensei..._she was willing to bet he knew full well that she hated attention. Toga and Akira went way back. Her parents had both gone to school with him and he had given her specialized training with her weapon when she went through her hunter's training.

"You can have a seat next to Yori-chan," Toga said with a hand on her shoulder. The small gesture said a lot; it said he knew and sympathized with her about the fate of her parents. Akira nodded, accepting the gesture. He pointed to the empty seat next to a petite, short haired blonde. _She looks friendly enough..._

She quietly sat down next to Yori and pulled out a notepad and a pencil, hoping that Toga sensei would get on with the class and not pick on her or embarrass her further.

"Hello, I'm Yori. It's nice to meet you Akira-chan," Yori leaned in and whispered to Akira, smiling a kind and open smile.

"Nice to meet you as well Yori-chan," She returned the smile.

"Oi! Ladies, this is not conversation 101! Or do you have something to share with the class?"

"Ah, no sensei! Gomen nasai!" Yori quickly blurted out, flushing slightly.

Now Akira really wanted to give Toga sensei a piece of her mind. He would know she was bluffing, of course, but she still desired to argue playfully with him a bit.

An hour and three pages of world history notes later, the bell rang, signaling release from Toga sensei's prison like classroom. Akira was so happy she could almost sing. _About time…_

After Toga sensei's class, she had biology, mathematics, archery, and art, all of which she was relieved to say were terribly uneventful. She had a load of homework to do, but most of it was math or art, both of which she found to be relatively exciting.

Exiting the art classroom and entering the hall, she spotted Yori-chan. Akira made her way over to her, maneuvering through the crowd expertly. _I swear this school is full to capacity, there are students everywhere!_

"Hey, Yori-chan! Um, I was just curious, but, you wouldn't happen to have seen Zero-kun have you?" Akira asked, realizing she hadn't seen tall, dark, and wordless all day.

"Akira-chan, Kiryuu-kun hasn't been to a class in about a month. Since Yuuki-chan and Kaname-senpai left, actually," Yori explained.

"Taking the easy way out, is he? I'm gonna have to talk to that boy," She decided aloud. Though she knew little about Yuuki and Kaname, she had gathered that Yuuki and Zero had been close, having both been adopted by the chairman at young ages and working on a team together for so long does that to you.

"Good luck, Kira-chan. Zero-kun isn't the type to give in to someone's request easily,"

"I figured as much! Arigatou Yori-chan! I'll see you tomorrow!" Akira yelled, waving to her as she ran down the hall. She made it her goal, right then and there, that she would get Zero to come to class the next day even if she had to drag him there by force. Let the games begin.

Akira walked down the dormitory halls purposefully, headed towards a particular spiky haired boy's room. The door made a loud but hollow sound as her fist made contact with it in a staccato rhythm.

"Zero-kun! Open up!" She called.

"Go away." A voice that could only belong to Zero growled from behind the closed door. _Someone certainly woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning._ Akira grinned.

"If you don't open this door, I'll...I'll...pick the lock!" She exclaimed triumphantly, remembering that she had placed a bobby pin in her hair to hold back her side swept bangs. "Really, I will! I am perfectly-"

The door opened, revealing an annoyed Zero, "capable," Akira finished quietly. Zero stood staring at her through his long silver bangs, expressionless.

"Okay!" Akira began, regaining her confidence from somewhere unknown. "You, Mr., need to start behaving and coming to class like a good student! If you, as a prefect don't, what example will the other students have to look up to?"

A sound similar to 'humph' managed to pass through Zero's unmoving lips.

"Are you listening? I'm being entirely serious here!" She said, throwing her arms above her head for emphasis.

"Ugh. Are you done now?"

Akira gasped. "You do talk!"

"Duh. Now go away!" Zero said, starting to close the door in Akira's face. Before he could completely, she rushed past him into his room. _Ha ha, take that, Spikey!_

She looked around quickly to find that his room was incredibly boring. Not a single sign that anyone lived here other than the sheets on the bed being out of place. No color. No personal belonging in sight.

"How boring...,"

"What'd you expect?" Zero muttered, seemingly irritated.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Ah, well. Can't be helped. C'mon Zero, time to control the Day Class," She looked over at him expectantly. He shrugged with a heavy sigh, but followed her anyway, tucking his gun, Bloody Rose, under his coat. _His gun is so much less conspicuous than my bow…it fits him._

They walked wordlessly towards the Moon Dorm, finding a familiar sight of Day Class girls gathered outside in an excited mob-like crowd. _Here we go again…_

"Alright everyone, move aside," Akira said with as much authority as she could muster. _No way it's gonna be that easy, if last night was any indication._

"You heard her, move aside," Zero said, causing Akira to jump slightly.

"Ah ha! So you really can back up your partner, eh Zero-kun? I'm impressed!" She smiled but quickly wiped it away upon seeing Zero's usual glare. _Of course. Always a glare in response. _

Once again, the gates of the Moon Dorm opened and out came the gorgeously hideous Night Class vampires. "Disgusting," Akira muttered. She felt Zero's eyes flicker over her face for a few seconds.

"Kagami-chan! I've heard all about you! It is a pleasure to meet you!" Ichijou said with a bow. _Blonde hair, pale colored eyes, impeccable manners….he's like…a prince! Get a grip, girl, he's still a blood-thirsty vampire! Don't let him fool you!_

Akira tried her best to smile politely and replied, "You as well, senpai,"

Ichijou chuckled and ran a hand through his feathery blonde hair before continuing on his way. Aidou was trying to be a ladies' man and flirting with his fans as he always did, while Akatsuki Kain rolled his eyes, one hand reaching back to hold Ruka's. Shiki and Rima were said to be at a modeling thing, according to Chairman Cross. Akira watched each vampire pass, a sick feeling in her stomach. She had nothing against them personally, but their kind had definitely not done anything to make her like them or even goes so far as to trust them.

When they had all passed, Akira looked back at Zero. She was shocked at how quickly the Day Class girls cleared out after their beloved Night Class was gone. She followed Zero's gaze to where the Night Class had entered the next building over.

"Uh, Zero-kun? Shouldn't we head back now?"When he didn't respond, she tapped his shoulder lightly. "Zero?"

He turned back to her and she could have sworn she saw his eyes flash red. Akira shuddered. "Uh, can we go now? Please?" She added.

Wordlessly, he began to walk away with her, she began following closely behind him. _What a strange guy. Did his eyes really…? No, must be imagining things…_


	3. Makeshift Family of Misfits

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the wait on this chapter. I won't make excuses, but I hope you'll forgive me. This chapter isn't chock full of plot yet, but know that in the next few chapters, the story will really start to pick up. And a little bit of character bonding is always good near the beginning of a tale, right? :D**

Classes went by without any major events. Yori lent Akira her notes because Akira's had turned into a full page of drawings, Toga sensei had given her his evil grin once or twice and made her answer questions in hopes of catching her off guard, but nothing out of the ordinary happened.

And nothing happening bothered her... _Where is Zero? Didn't he listened to anything I said about coming to class? Once again, I feel the need to give him a piece, no—a huge chunk of my mind_. With that in mind, Akira huffed exasperatedly as she rushed out of her last class of the day and began stomping towards the male dormitory.

"Zero! I can't believe you!" Akira yelled, opening the door without bothering to knock.

Zero was there, lying on his bed casually, one arm draped over his eyes. He appeared to be asleep, but Akira assumed that was only an act. He probably was trying to find a new method of making her go away.

"Nice try, but you'll have to try harder than that to get rid of me, mister,"

No sound came from Zero and no recognition of Akira's presence. Instead, he turned over onto his stomach and allowed an arm to hand over the side of his bed. _Hmm...maybe he really is asleep_.

Akira walked closer and knelt by the head of his bed, staring at his peaceful face. _I don't think he could fake sleep this well… he must really be out._ Slowly and gently, she raised a hand and ran a hand through his silver hair. _So soft…_ She found herself gently petting his head repeatedly. That is, until he moaned. He began to move and stretch, signaling that he was definitely not asleep anymore.

As quickly as she could, Akira moved to the door and opened it again, making it look like she had just walked in. Just as his eyes were opening_. That was a close call, girl._

"Zero, you lazy bum, You were supposed to come to class!" She said, with less irritation than she had expected. Seeing him asleep had given her a whole different view of Zero. A view that was quickly forgotten as he made his usual self known.

"Baka. Leave me alone. I didn't ask you to get involved," He said, surprisingly menacing although he had just woken up seconds before. With a slight growl of irritation, he stood from the bed and walked out the door, leaving Akira speechless in the doorway.

Staring at her feet, she made her way to the fountain in the academy's courtyard. She sat on the edge and stared into the water, thoughts sluggishly making their way through her mind. _Stupid Zero. I was only trying to help..._

"Akira-chan!" A familiar voice called happily. Looking up, Akira saw the trenchcoat clad chairman walking towards her leisurely, as though there wasn't a stack of paperwork a mile high waiting for him in his office.

"...hey Chairman," She replied half-heartedly.

"I make time in my busy day to leave my office and see my lovely new daughter, and this is the greeting I get? I'm hurt Akira-chan...!"

" Ah, gomen," She said, looking up to meet his puppy-dog eyes. She couldn't keep herself from laughing. _This guy is so overly-dramatic, it's hilariously endearing._

"Uh...Akira-chan?" Chairmen asked, confusion evident in his voice and expression.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! Don't mind me! Well, I'll be seeing you Chairman!" Akira said, enthusiasm returning to her as she began to run off.

Akira heard the Chairman mutter something along the lines of "What a strange girl". Seems we're beginning to understand each other, Chairman.

Since she still had a few hours to burn before guardian duties, Akira decided that now was as good a time as any to go visit Yori-chan. She had a few questions she wanted to ask her. Her mind vaguely remembered her telling her room's where-abouts during an especially boring history class.

_Ah ha_! Akira stood in front of her door and was excessively proud of herself. Directions had never been her strong point, yet she had found the room without getting lost once or having to ask for directions.

Akira knocked on the door lightly and leaned back on her heels, then rose to her tip toes, then back down again. Although she considered Yori-chan to be perhaps her only female friend at the academy, she had still never had much interaction with her outside of class.

The door opened and Yori's eyes met Akira's. She smiled before inviting her in.

"Can I ask you a question Yori-chan?" Akira asked, before she had even taken two steps into the room. A little over-doing it, she knew, but she really wanted answers.

"Uh, sure Akira-chan. I'll answer if I can,"

"What is Zero's issue? Why is he such an extreme pain in the you-know-what?" Akira blurted out, all sense of being polite wiped out by her burning desire to know.

A dark look passed over Yori's face, followed by uncertainty, indecision, and-was that, regret?

Then she opened her eyes calmly and gestured to the bed.

"You may want to sit down, this is a long story," She said sadly.

What Yori had told Akira about Zero had come as quite a shock. For Yuuki, the only person he had trusted, to turn out to be a pureblood... well, let's just say a lot of things made more sense. Akira almost felt that he had a right to act as he did.

"Yori-chan? How do you know about vampires? Isn't the Day Class supposed to be oblivious?" Akira asked. Heck, she wouldn't even know if her parents hadn't been vampire hunters, so this was definitely privileged information.

She sighed deeply, "When Yuuki-chan and Kaname-senpai left, the memories of the Day Class were completely erased, those about vampires, at least. I was an exception. I didn't want to forget. I swore to keep the secret, and by some miracle, they let me keep my memories,"

Her troubled face made Akira feel bad for asking. _Maybe it was too selfish of me to ask Yori-chan all these questions... _Akira reached out and hugged her instinctively.

"Thanks Yori-chan. And, I'm sorry for bringing up such painful memories. I had a friend leave who was as close to me as Yuuki seems to be to you...what I mean to say is...you're not alone, you know?"

She nodded her head a few times, a single tear escaping from the corner of her left eye.

"Do you mind...giving me some time alone?" She asked quietly.

Akira stood silently, resting a hand on her shoulder, then exited the room_. Poor Yori-chan._

When Akira returned to her own room, she found a note on the desk with the Chairman's signature on it. She carefully unfolded the letter and scrutinized the letters. The gist of it was that she was to come to his office immediately and that she wouldn't have to worry about her guardian duties tonight, the Night Class was not meeting tonight. _How strange_.

Her curiosity grew as she walked toward the Chairman's office. Opening the door, she grimaced at the loud squeak it made and poked her head inside.

"Ah! Akarui-chan! Come in!" The Chairman sang in his happy voice. He sat at his desk, feet stretched out and lounging on its surface, paperwork long forgotten.

Akira grinned a goofy grin, unable to keep his ridiculous mood from affecting her.

"Is something the matter Chairman?"

"Daddy. Call me daddy! I insist. And no, nothing's wrong. Daddy just wanted to have dinner with his little girl!" Chairman said, ranging in facial expressions from a small pout near the beginning to a wide toothy grin at the end. "And my Zero of course!" He added.

In response, a death glare came from the kitchen in the Chairman's suite, no doubt from Zero. Akira had to smile again, these two were quite hilarious when put in the same room.

"Wipe that stupid grin off your face and come eat," Zero said, with a slight edge, but anyone could tell he meant no harm. He was...much more relaxed tonight and Akira could have sworn she saw the side of his mouth turn upwards in a smile.

_He looks so much less harsh when he smiles. _Akira felt a contented smile stretch lazily over her face. Who knew that dinner could bring about so many smiles?

"Pass the rice, please, Zero-kun,"

"Get it yourself, it's closer to you,"

"Daddy is hurt, Zero-kun," The chairman whined, eyes brimming with unshed tears. Nevertheless, he did finally reach for the rice on his own.

"I don't remember ever becoming your son," This comment from Zero was the trigger that caused streams of over dramatic tears to fall from the chairman's eyes. Zero simply rolled his eyes at his antics.

_It's like my own little odd family. Mom, dad, wherever you are, know that I'll be happy here with them. I'll protect my new family, I won't let you down._ With that, she began to eat her own meal, watching in amusement as her makeshift family continued in its little squabbles.


	4. I'll Come Running

**A/N:**

**I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, however, it's important that it isn't overstretched as well, since it is rather important to the progress of the plot. :) Anyway, thank you to those wonderful readers who left reviews. I appreciate it. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations.**

Saturday. A day Akira had been looking forward to ever since arriving at Cross Academy. _A free day at last._ As much as she loved the academy and her classes, she needed to go into town, big time. But first, she had to get the Chairman's approval.

Akira had thought up every possible excuse to keep her from going into the town and thought up a way to counter every single one. She was confident that no logical argument in existence could stop her now. _Here comes __the moment of truth_, Akira thought, looking up to meet the Chairman's eyes.

"Of course Aki-" She cut him off by hugging him suddenly and rushing for the door, before he could change his mind.

"Not so fast! I wasn't done!" He continued, causing a disappointed frown to cover Akira's face. "Take Zero with you. That's my only condition. Now come give daddy another hug!" He smiled broadly.

Akira shot him a funny look. "Why do I have to take Zero?" She all but whined, disappointed that he didn't trust her on her own in town.

He must have seen the look on her face because he quickly amended the situation, saying, "It's not that I don't trust you, Akira-chan. I just want to keep you safe!"

"I was top of my class in the Hunter's Academy. I know how to use an anti-vampire weapon!" Akira pointed out, trying to keep her cool, right as the door opened behind her, a yawning Zero making his lazy entrance. His eyes grew wide as he registered Akira's words.

"Of course, Akira-chan! I don't doubt your abilities, not in the least-"

"Then why do I have to take him!?" She pouted, shoving a finger into Zero's chest, who stood silent with his arms crossed in silence beside her. Akira swore his eyebrow twitched in irritation.

The Chairman rubbed the back of his head nervously, a response to the death glare Akira could feel Zero sending his way.

"Zero has some business there anyway...It's a matter of convenience, really!" he said, handing Zero an envelope. Zero took out the paper and examined it, becoming furious by the time he finished.

"You expect me to take her-to do this? Are you insane?" He growled through clenched teeth, as furious as Akira had been about going into town with him. It still stung a little to hear him say it though. _Am I __really __that__ much a nuisance?_

"You heard her, she's a hunter as well, Zero-kun. She may be of assistance. Ah-," He continued,

"A Hunter mission, huh?" Akira grinned wickedly. She had been itching to use her hunter skills for a long time. Since her enrollment, she hadn't had any less than friendly contact with vampires. Akira smiled and nodded at the Chairman, her nonverbal acceptance of his condition to take Zero along. He got the message. Zero, on the other hand was still fuming.

"Ah, lighten up, Zero-kun!" Chairman said, with a smile that told Akira she was clearly missing something.

"Fine," Zero grit out. He rather roughly grabbed Akira's wrist and began pulling her along. Before she knew it, he had dragged her all the way to the town gate.

"Ouch...couldn't you have been a little more gentle?" She asked, rubbing her wrists gingerly. Zero didn't answer. _Always Mr. Silent._

"So, uh, where should we look for the Level E's?" Akira tried a new question, still no answer. A soft sigh escaped from her lips.

"Zero?" Akira stood in front of him now, her arms crossed against her chest in mild irritation. Standing there, Akira realized for the first time that he was a good deal taller than she was. She barely reached his shoulder. _Giant._

Lavender eyes, full of irritation, glanced down to stare into Akira's blue ones. _Gulp._

"Follow me. There's a bell tower at the edge of town. There have been sightings near there,"

Akira gaped, mouth dropping open. She probably looked like an idiot, but she was in shock from hearing so many words from Mr. Silent all at once.

"You look like an idiot," Zero started, confirming her earlier thought. "Now come on, keep up," He said, picking up his pace.

When the duo reached the bell tower, Zero stopped abruptly.

"Have your arrows handy," He said, drawing his own Bloody Rose, "We're going to split up. If you see the vampire, scream. I'll come running,"

Although Akira knew he wasn't trying to be romantic in the least, she felt the telltale signs of heart fluttering in her chest. _Oh boy, so not the time for this_. She scolded herself for getting distracted.

"Okay. I will," She returned, drawing an arrow from her quiver.

Zero nodded and took the staircase to the right, leaving her to take the left. _Here goes nothing_. Akira held her bow slightly in front of her, arrow drawn and ready to fly at a moment's notice.

At the top of the left staircase, Akira was shocked to discover how run down and trashed this place really was. Sure, it obviously wasn't new from the outside, but the inside was terrible. Akira placed her feet very carefully. Not only were there holes in the floor leading to the lower level, but she had also begun to doubt the strength of the floor beneath her.

There were windows down the length of the hallway and another stairway at the end that most likely led to the bell itself. Making her way down the hall slowly, Akira searched closely for any signs of a Level E. Just as she was about to turn and ascend the next staircase, a hand tapped her on the shoulder.

"Zero?" I asked stupidly, turning around to find-nothing. No one was there. She shuddered. _Must be my imagination__._ Still, she griped her bow tighter.

A hand quickly came from behind to cover her mouth, another knocking the arrow from the drawstring of her weapon. That sent multiple alarms ringing in her head. Akira bit down on the hand as hard as she could and screamed, hoping Zero would hear.

"Ow! Curse you!" The Level E yelled in the deep, almost unintelligible voice that all Level E's seem to share. Akira felt a strong slap to the face that sent her flying toward the wall of windows. Her back hit hard, breaking the window and causing it to shatter into fragments above her head.

Akira groaned, clutching her head in her hands, looking about five yards away to where her bow lay, ripped from her hands upon impact_. __Oh_ _Crap._ Blood was on her hand as she brought it back from her head_. This may be shit worthy. _The Level E was looking at Akira, enraged, with blood red eyes that portrayed his cravings for blood. _Just my rotten luck._

The crazed vampire rushed at Akira with inhuman speed and she was sure that she was about to be on the receiving end of a world full of hurt via fangs.

-Click-Boom!-

Akira tentatively cracked open her eyes, which she found she had involuntarily squeezed shut in terror, to find the Level E turning to dust before her eyes, an anti-vampire bullet having hit it in the back.

"Com—rade...," It muttered.

Zero stood behind it, Bloody Rose still smoking. He walked forward and offered his hand, looking down at Akira with something akin to pity in his eyes. Akira took it and was quickly lifted to her feet, only to become dizzy and sway dangerously. Strong arms picked her up and began to carry her out of the cursed bell tower. _ Zero's carrying me…?_

"I told you I'd come," She could have sworn she heard, before drifting out of consciousness. _Nah, blood-l__oss was makes people__ hear things_, she thought, before everything became dark and muddled.

**A/N:**

**So, Akira finally got a chance to be in on the action, only to find that things in the field aren't quite as easy as the Hunter's Association made it seem. Thankfully, she had Zero there to save her. No worries, though, Akira won't always be the damsel in distress. However, there's clearly some sort of camaraderie building between the two hunters, though it's only in it's beginning stages. Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. :) More to be released within a few days. Thanks as always for your patience.**


	5. Can I Trust You?

Akira grudgingly started coming back to consciousness as the sound of loud voices invaded her senses.

"NO! You can't! Don't involve her in this!" Was that Zero? Her ears were ringing faintly, and the volume of the speech made her cringe and cover her ears with her hands in discomfort.

"Zero-kun, wouldn't it be best for her to know, rather than find out suddenly?" The Chairman stated in a calmer fashion, for the first time acting as the voice of reason.

"What if you slip up and she can't even protect herself? Do you want another Yuuki on your hands, Zero?" Though her eyes were only partially open and sensitive to the light, Akira was sure she saw Zero flinch sharply at the mention of Yuuki. "Either tell her or move into the Night Class!" A voice, Toga sensei, said, taking a different approach at getting through to Zero.

_What are they talki__ng about? Ooh...my head..._Akira grimaced, sitting up slowly with her hands held tightly to her head. She recognized the infirmary as her world became clearer and the light less blinding.

"Akira-chan! You're up!" The Chairman sang out, walking over to gently hug Akira. All of his seriousness she had heard earlier had disappeared completely.

Zero flashed a quick glance in her direction, a peculiar look on his face, then burst out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Am I...missing something?" The girl asked stupidly, already knowing the answer.

"Don't worry about it, Akira-chan! Zero-kun is just worried about you is all!" Somehow, Akira doubted that was the whole story. Rather than question him further, she decided to drop it for now.

"You were lucky Zero got to you in time. That could have been ugly. As it was, you still managed to get some glass embedded in your arm. It's a miracle we managed to get it all out, it'll take a while to heal though," Toga sensei explained. "Chairman, Akira-chan, I'll take my leave,"

With that, Toga sensei also left the room, leaving the Chairman and Akira alone.

"I suppose, I should go too, eh? Wouldn't want to be late for guardian duties!" Akira said, trying to smile bravely, though the pain in her arm was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

"Akira-chan, it's Sunday, and even if it wasn't, you are in no condition to face a vampire if need be. Tomorrow, perhaps. Maybe you could get some target practice with Zero-kun if you get restless," The Chairman trailed off as he began to turn towards the door.

After a quick stop in her room to change out of her bloody shirt, Akira made my way to Zero's room. She wondered if he would be willing to help her train, or if he would blatantly refuse. Then there was his anger earlier. What had that been about? Before she knew it, she had arrived at his door. With a heavy heart, and after much deliberation, she knocked lightly.

"What is it?" Zero called quietly. He began choking immediately after.

Akira opened the door, practically breaking it in her rush to see if he was okay. The sight in front of her would have made any other girl blush. Zero was leaning over the sink, shirtless. The choking had finally stopped.

"Are you alright?"

"I should be asking you the same question," He said, turning to face Akira. His lavender eyes searched her eyes and face, looking for answers. Akira did blush this time. He was so close that she could smell the warm, masculine smell that was so distinctly Zero. And without a shirt, no less. A cold hand touched her heated cheek lightly, causing a shiver to run down her spine. The hand quickly fell away.

"Sorry," Zero said. What he was apologizing for?

Straightening her shirt and brushing her hands against her skirt in her nervous state, Akira recalled what she had come to his room to do.

"Zero, I was wondering...would you help me with target practice?" It had been awhile before she had been in combat, and after her recent brush with danger, she was beginning to realize how important it was for her to be at the top of her game.

His face darkened and an aged look crossed over his eyes, only to be gone in the next second. For a while, the two just stood there, neither speaking.

"Fine, Akira-chan." His voice was nothing more than a resigned whisper and his head quickly came to rest on his head, as though he was already regretting the decision.

Akira's heart fluttered a bit at the way her name fell so naturally from his lips, and again when she realized he had agreed to her request. A genuine smile played at Zero's lips, and Akira felt an answering one threatening to take over her own face.

"Now?" She asked.

"Now," He nodded, shrugging on a plain white button up shirt.

After gathering Akira's bow and Zero's beloved gun, the two made their way to a soundproof room set up with targets. Akira was certain that this room was one of Zero's safe havens. She felt privileged to see it and be able to use it too.

"Okay, although I know that you aren't an amateur, it's best to start with the basics. Move your shoulder and arm to here," Zero said, positioning her body for her. She stifled her breath at the feel of his heat at her back.

An awkward silence filled the room awareness of their position struck the two hunters. Akira distracted herself from the sensation of his breath on her neck by counting the tiles of the ceiling.

Zero stepped back a little, his face seeming to thaw out after a minute and he resumed his instructions, making sure to avoid physical contact with Akira. She sighed lightly in relief.

After a few less than perfect shots with her arrows, Akira remembered her prior training and managed to hit the dead center of the target's head. She would blame the failed attempts on her arm injury.

"Nice shot," Zero approved, patting her on the head. He didn't give compliments lightly, and was truly impressed that she was able to compensate for her injury so well so quickly. Her reputation in the academy didn't seem to be a fluke.

"Yeah, a bulls-eye," She panted, breathing heavily from her extreme concentration and slight exertion. "Hey Zero? About the Chairman's office earlier...what was that all about?"

Zero froze on the spot again and avoided her gaze. He knew that her curiosity was sure to cause this confrontation eventually, but he begrudgingly admitted to himself that he had been hoping to spend more time training lightheartedly before this came up.

"I have to transfer into the Night Class, or trust you," He whispered, his face almost completely blank, aside from the slight tick in the corner of his mouth.

"You hate vampires, Zero, and there's no reason for you to be in their classes. Is it that hard to trust me? What are you sayi-" Akira began to yell, thankful that the room was soundproof. She couldn't believe he would even have difficulty deciding between trusting her and doing something he would surely hate. Was she that hard to trust and why-

Her lectures and her train of thought were cut short as Zero suddenly brought his lips down to his, effectively silencing her. While her mind tried futilely to fight the sensation of his warm and surprisingly gentle lips, her body leaned into him almost on instinct, her uninjured arm going around his neck, as his arms constricted around her waist possessively.

If this was a dream, she didn't want to wake up. When Zero's tongue flitted lightly across her lower lip, though, reality came screaming back to her and she broke away from him, breathless and bewildered.

Akira and Zero both stared at each other, mirror images of shock and mild confusion on their faces. Finally, in an act that was classic Zero, he darted out the door without another word. _Well, this day just got a whole lot weirder..._Akira brought a hand to her now sensitive lips wonderingly.


End file.
